Readers must be given room to bring their own emotions to a piece so crammed with emotional content; the writer must tenaciously resist explaining why the material is so moving.

A writer will do anything to avoid the act of writing.

There's not much to be said about the period except that most writers don't reach it soon enough.

When you're ready to stop, stop. If you have presented all the facts and made the point you want to make, look for the nearest exit.

Be wary of security as a goal. It may often look like life's best prize. Usually it's not.

My four articles of faith: clarity, simplicity, brevity and humanity.

The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.